Lake Brownwood Watershed - Texas State Soil and Water ...

APPENDIX 2
ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF BRUSH CONTROL
TO ENHANCE OFF-SITE WATER YIELD
Linda Dumke, Research Assistant; Brian Maxwell, Research Assistant; J. Richard Conner,
Professor; Department of Agricultural Economics
M.S. 2124, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2124
E-mail: JRC@tamu.edu
Abstract: A feasibility study of brush control for off-site water yield was undertaken in 1998 on
the North Concho River near San Angelo, Texas. In 2000, feasibility studies were conducted
on eight additional Texas watersheds. This year, studies of four additional Texas watersheds
were completed and the results reported herein. Economic analysis was based on estimated
control costs of the different options compared to the estimated landowner benefits from brush
control. Control costs included initial and follow-up treatments required to reduce brush canopy
to between 8% and 3% and maintain it at the reduced level for 10 years. The state cost share
was estimated by subtracting the present value of landowner benefits from the present value of
the total cost of the control program. The total cost of additional water was determined by
dividing the total state cost share if all eligible acreage were enrolled by the total added water
estimated to result from the brush control program. This procedure resulted in present values of
total control costs per acre ranging from $35.57 to $203.17. Rancher benefits, based on the
present value of the improved net returns to typical cattle, sheep, goat and wildlife enterprises,
ranged from $37.20 per acre to $17.09. Present values of the state cost share per acre ranged
from $140.62 to $39.20. The cost of added water estimated for the four watersheds ranged
from $14.90 to $37.95 per acre-foot averaged over each watershed.
INTRODUCTION
As was reported in Chapter 1 of this report, feasibility studies of brush control for water yield
were previously conducted on the North Concho River near San Angelo, Texas (Bach and
Conner) and in eight additional watersheds across Texas (Conner and Bach). These studies
indicated that removing brush would produce cost effective increases in water yield for most of
the watersheds studied. Subsequently, the Texas Legislature, in 2001, appropriated funds for
feasibility studies on four additional watersheds. The watersheds; Lake Arrowhead, Lake
Brownwood, Lake Fort Phantom Hill, and Lake Palo Pinto; are all located in North Central
Texas, primarily in the Rolling Plains Land Resource Region. Detailed reports of the economic
analysis results of the feasibility studies for each of the four watersheds are the subject of
subsequent chapters.
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